


A Song Teller's Ballad of Love

by orphan_account



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Awkward Dates, Cheesy, Courtship, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:40:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23272603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: With confidence in his future with Brea, Kylan decides to make an important proposal.
Relationships: Brea/Kylan (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	A Song Teller's Ballad of Love

**Author's Note:**

> I'm basing the first part of this on a painting I did of Kylan and Brea watching the Northern Lights (I deleted it form insta a while back bc it wasn't one of my best posts, I'm not a very good artist). I really hope this isn't too long and drawn out, this was actually difficult to write and I'm just worried I'm not portraying the characters properly, so please let me know if you like it, but I will accept critiques of any kind.

“Um, Brea? Not that I’m complaining, but, how much further? I don’t think I can feel my toes.” Kylan inquired. He pulled his cloak a little tighter around him as he and Brea trudged up the snowy path.

She giggled, looking back at him. “Not much further now, I promise. Besides, didn’t I tell you to wear your best snow boots?”

Kylan huffed a chuckle, his breath foggy in the Claw Mountain air. “Well, you didn’t tell me it was going to be this cold!”

She paused in her steps, and arched a brow. “We’re going into the northern-most part of the Claw Mountains, what did you expect?”

Kylan blushed, which was surprising given his cheeks were already flaming red from the cold.  
There were many times in his courtship with Brea where Kylan wanted to slap himself for his stupidity. Aughra had named him ‘Wise Kylan’ after all, so it shouldn’t have been so difficult to live up to that title, but even he was sometimes left wondering how he managed to sweep the Princess of Ha’rar off her feet, especially with how smart she was in comparison; she wasn’t named ‘Clever Brea’ for no reason. At least one of them was fulfilling Aughra’s expectations.

“Ah, yes, well… I suppose I… could have thought that through better…”

Brea couldn’t help but giggle again at his embarrassment. She reached out for his hand and he obliged, even if it allowed another chilling mountain breeze into his cloak.

“Don’t worry, once you see what I’m about to show you, you’ll forget all about the cold.” She assured him, her voice gentle and loving.

He smiled back, holding her hand a little tighter. “Brea, just being here with you already warms my heart.”

Her smile widened and she couldn’t help but duck her head a little, and even with her own winter-induced flush across her cheeks, she blushed, and laughed.

Kylan’s ears ducked under his hood. “I-I’m sorry, that must have sounded so cheesy.” He laughed, but she shook her head.

“As long as you mean it, nothing will ever sound cheesy coming from you, Kylan.”

He hummed and nodded, and neither could help but stare at each other for a moment longer. She practically glowed against the pure-white snow, with the silvery hair pouring from her hood that moved gently in the wintry breeze, her ivory skin, jade eyes… it seemed he’d already forgotten the cold. 

Brea was the first to snap out of the stupor and clear her throat awkwardly. “Well, um… we should keep going. We’re almost there!” She pulled him along further up the trail. “We need to keep moving, I read that prolonged exposure to the cold like this can lead to frostbite. We wouldn’t want your poor toes freezing off, now would we?”

Kylan’s face fell. “Wait, that can happen?”

She only laughed in response.

*~*~*~*

Kylan stared in wonder at the sight before him. After their trek through the narrow passage between the mountains, he and Brea found themselves on a flat terrain of snow and ice that faced a hidden strip of the Silver Sea. Far across the dark blue water on the other side were more mountains, and the state of the sky above them was the most captivating vision. A colorful stream of lights, blue, green, and purple, danced and waved like a bright ribbon across the dark night.

The Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights of Thra. He’d only heard of such a phenomena, and seeing it for himself was one of the greatest wonders.

“Isn’t it beautiful? I knew you would like it.” Brea remarked, linking her arm in his.

He gasped in awe. “This is incredible! I’ve never seen anything like this!”

Brea smiled, relieved as she examined his wonderstruck expression. She knew Kylan had wanted to see as much of Thra as possible, having been stuck in Sami Thicket for most of his life under the strict and watchful eye of Maudra Mera. The Spriton Plains could only offer so much beauty in terms of nature; the most he’d ever seen was a very brief meteor shower, and he had to sneak out to even see that. There was also the matter of the Resistance. The Skeksis had called a ceasefire in the wake of the Emperor’s… sudden illness, three unum ago, but their threat was still large, and the Gelfling knew their reign of terror was far from over in spite of SkekSo’s condition. Even so, many Gelfling had taken advantage of this peaceful opportunity, to either repair broken relations between clans, begin courtships, marry, start families, or in this case, travel. Brea was more than willing to help her Song Teller do just that.

“Come, let’s sit, by the edge of the water there, and enjoy the view.” she suggested. Kylan nodded and the two walked to where the ocean water lapped gently against the icy shore. With pieces of the shore having broken off over the years into icebergs, it was perfect for the pair to sit right on the edge and dangle their feet just above the freezing water. They sat close, with her body leaned against his, and their hands linked as they gazed into the dancing sky.

There was a short time of silence between them, both entranced by the spectrum of the Aurora.

“How did you know about this place? Or how to get here?” Kylan asked. “Did you read about it?”

He felt Brea nod against his shoulder. “Mhm. When I was in my thirteenth trine, I read about the Northern Light Phenomena in Veryn the Traveler’s Studies of the Stars, and that it was most prominent right here in the Claw Mountains! It’s also a somewhat rare occurrence, and I just had to see it for myself. Seladon refused to take me on such a venture, and Mother and Tavra were… away…” She refused to say that they had been at the Castle of the Crystal; mere mention of the Skeksis would only bring dread to the story. “So I snuck out my chamber window and followed the path on a map.”

Kylan snapped his head down to look at her, shocked. “You snuck out of the Citadel?”

She laughed at his wide eyes. “It was a foolish plan yes, but I had to see this for myself, and I did! I was just as amazed as you, but… a bit too amazed…” Her ears dropped in embarrassment and she shook her head at the memory. “I had lost track of time and hadn't realized how long I was gone until I heard my name being called over the mountains. Mother and Tavra had returned, and when I failed to attend supper, they discovered I was gone and sent a search party out for me!”

She and Kylan laughed, Kylan a bit more nervously at where the story was headed next. “Your mother was furious, I gather.”

Brea groaned. “Oh, understatement of the trine! And not just at me, I had never seen her so angry with Seladon before. She scolded her for what seemed like an eternity for not keeping close watch on me, that the future All-Maudra would have to take as much responsibility for her kin as anything else, that she should have known better than to just leave me alone for so long knowing my curiosity often got the better of me, that I could have been in serious danger and gotten hurt… or worse…” She sighed and shook her head once more. She was silent for a moment. “In turn, Seladon was angry with me, too. I’d humiliated her, and I don’t think she ever really forgave me for that stunt. We never had the strongest bond, as sisters, and I only weakened it further…”

Kylan hummed in understanding. He observed her solemn expression, eyes downcast and a deep frown present in her features. He wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders and held her closer, kissing the top of her head.

“Well, things are better now, at least from what I see. Ever since the ceasefire was declared, it seems you two have never been closer.”

Brea smiled. “That’s true. Everything is changing for the better now, and not just for us. The Seven Clans are uniting, Gelfling are courting and getting married… Rian and Deet are having a baby.” She sighed in awe at the thought of the two. “I’m so happy for them! They’re going to be such wonderful parents.”

“It’s very exciting, yes.” Kylan agreed with a fond smile. They continued to sit and watch the lights, quietly, and Kylan took the time to think about his next question, something he feared it may have been too early on in the courtship to ponder.

“Brea… do you want that someday?” he asked nervously. She lifted her head from his shoulder looked up at him.

“Want what?” she asked.

He took a breath before responding. “To get married, and… have a childling of our own? Maybe? Maybe more than one? I —“ His eyes suddenly went wide as he realized he was already asking too much. “Uh, I mean — if you’d want more than one, that is — or if you want one at all? Would you? I mean I want one, or, two or — but i-it’s your choice! Definitely your choice! I won’t force you into anything! I would never do that to you, you don’t even have to marry me if you don’t want to, I just — oh, Thra, I’m such an idiot…” He shook his head and smacked the side of it. He was making a complete fool out of himself, again, and he knew it. “All right, uh, let me start over!” he stuttered. He cleared his throat. “Brea, I —“

He was cut off when Brea grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss. Whatever words that were about to spill from his mouth in another jumbled mess were muffled by her lips meeting his, and forgotten, as he practically melted into it. He wrapped his arms around her and didn’t let go even even when she pulled away from the kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she gazed at him lovingly, and giggled, a bright smile across her face and ears perked.

“Of course I want that, Kylan! I’d love that!” she said. He was surprised at the excitement in her voice.

“R-really? You do?” He asked, feeling his smile grow wider. She laughed, and nodded eagerly.

“Yes! Yes, absolutely! Oh, Kylan, you’re not an idiot for asking such things!”

He laughed with her. “I’m not? Are you sure? Is it too early to be asking about things like that?”

“No, no of course not!” she stressed. “To tell you the truth, Kylan… I’ve been thinking about it for some time, myself…”

Kylan’s hazel eyes lit up at her confession. “You have? Really? I-I just thought that —“

Brea rolled her eyes and groaned playfully. “Kylan, please, stop doubting everything I say.”

“Sorry…” he chuckled, blushing. “… Would you kiss me again if I did?”

She giggled. “You don’t have to speak so lowly of yourself to make me kiss you, my Song Teller.”

She kissed him again, and deeply. They separated again after a moment, their smiles so wide they were nearly comical. Momentarily, Brea looked down and reached to play with one of Kylan’s front braids, twirling the long black hair between her fingers.

“So, are you, um, proposing to me?” she asked, looking back up at him shyly.

Kylan froze for a moment and released a breathy chuckle. “Uh… allow me to find a more formal way to ask, if that’s all right. I-I want to ask your hand in a way that’s, well, less clumsy. I want to prove myself as ‘Wise Kylan’ rather than ‘Foolish Kylan’.”

They laughed together once more, but he collected himself and locked his gaze with hers, eyes serious. “All jokes aside, Brea, you deserve a proper proposal, as Princess of Ha’rar, and because you’re, well, an amazing Gelfling in general.”

Brea pulled him into a tight embrace. “Even if you stumble over your words again, I will say yes, Kylan. Always.”

They stayed like that, in each other’s arms, until a particularly cold breeze rushed over them, making them both shiver as they released one another.

“Here, we should go back. It is getting rather cold, and I don’t want a repeat of that search party all those trine ago. Seladon and I may have made up, but she’ll have my head if we have to go through that again.” Brea stated, and Kylan nodded. Hand-in-hand, they made their way back to Ha’rar. The Spriton walked with a smile on his face, all the while thinking of the perfect way to propose to his clever Vapra.

*~*~*~*

One week later, it was Kylan taking the lead to a secret location, and instead of snow, they stepped over leaves, twigs, and dirt, surrounded by the trees of the Endless Forest. It was also worth mentioning the climate was much better, their cloaks long forgotten at their cottage in Stone-in-the-Wood less than a mile back.

“Not much further now.” he stated, smiling over his shoulder. Brea smiled back at him, not speaking, but an excited, nervous feeling grew in her stomach. She knew what this was potentially leading to; their conversation from that night of the Aurora hadn’t left her mind once.

“All right, here we are!” Kylan announced nervously. He pushed some brush to the side and stepped through with Brea’s hand in his. He gestured with an awkward smile to a little boat, sat on the edge of a rippling stream. Sitting in the boat was Kylan’s lute, leaned beside a single paddle.

“I, uh, I know it’s no Northern Lights, but… I thought you might enjoy a little paddle down the river, just the two of us?” Kylan rubbed his arm anxiously. He hoped it didn’t seem too boring of a venture for Brea. She kissed his cheek, and, actually looked excited, which helped to ease his worries. 

“I’d love to. I’ve never really ridden on a boat before!” she said.

Kylan smiled with relief. “Well then, um, shall we, My Lady?”

As he rowed them down the calm river, Brea looked around in wonder at the nature around them. It looked as though the Three Suns were shining brighter than ever, enhancing the emerald green of the tree leaves, and the sounds of various forest and water critters created a sonorous echo of chirps and caws in her ears, as though the Endless Forest itself sung especially for them.

“Kylan… this is beautiful.” she whispered. He grinned, and set the paddle down, reaching for his lute.

“I’m glad you think so, Brea, and… there’s something else I’d like to share with you, if that’s all right.”

She turned her head at the sound of his strumming. It was a slow and gentle tune, as many of his songs were, but she felt in her heart this one was special.

Kylan took a deep breath, looking into Brea’s eyes as he spoke. “This is the last ballad dream-etched by Gyr the Song Teller, he wrote it for his beloved, your ancestor, Lady Kel. They had traveled together for many trine, as we have in the past few unum, although most of it was in the midst of war…” He swallowed. “Gyr and Lady Kel saw many fearful things in their travels, as well, things they could not explain, but they knew, after their own meeting with the Skeksis especially, that as long as they had one another, they could defeat any horrors they faced… for in one another, they saw the same thing… a companion worth fighting for.”

And so, the Song Teller sang.

“Long trine past, I’d lost myself  
To a song of sorrow and dread  
But soon met I a lady Gelf  
Whose silhouette hath filled my head

A Vapra of high renown  
Who care not much for her crown  
White silk hair, and a voice of wit  
My soul still sings to hear it

Her hand in mine, we venture on  
To lands unknown to all  
Every moonrise, and every dawn  
Further in love with her, I fall

Lady Kel, my love, my life  
Together we face such mounting strife  
For you, I will face anything, on land or sea  
So long as you will have me…”

Kylan paused and moved onto one knee on the floor of the tiny boat. He stopped his strumming to reach into his pack, pulling out a small bouquet of varying forest flowers, of different sizes and colors. He handed it to Brea, who took it carefully in her shaking hands. She was crying, and for all the best reasons. She was sure she’d never felt more love in her entire life, and the fact that she recognized the song only made her emotions harder to contain.

Kylan went back to strumming the lute, and as he looked in Brea’s eyes, she could see tears forming in his own.

"I ask you now, my companion thee,  
Take my hand, and marry me  
I tell this song, in spite of my past  
For you, my dear, it is the last  
This is my ballad of love to you  
Lady Kel, above all, I adore you."

Once finished, Kylan placed the lute behind him and turned back to take Brea’s hand.

She sniffled. “I-I’ve read that song…” she said with a quiet voice.

“Heh… I-I figured you might, I know you’ve likely read Gyr’s songs before, you are his descendant, after all.” Kylan chuckled nervously, and cleared his throat, grasping her hand just a little tighter. “Princess Brea of Ha’rar… will you take me, Kylan of Sami Thicket, to be your —“

“YES! Yes, Kylan, I will!” Brea cried, practically jumping from her seat.

Kylan’s eyes widened. “You will? A-are you sure?”

She laughed, wiping her tears with her free arm. “Yes, silly, of course! Didn’t I tell you to stop doubting what I say?!”

Kylan gasped, his smile wider than ever. "Oh, Brea!" Without thinking, he stood up a bit too fast to wrap Brea in an embrace.

“KYLAN THE BO —“ but it was too late, both had already lost their balance, and yelped as the little shell of a boat capsized from the force of their movements, sending them both falling into the water with a great splash.

Once they resurfaced, gasping and coughing, they looked at each other with wide eyes. There was only a brief moment of shocked silence before the two burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry! That could have gone better! So much for a more formal proposal!" Kylan declared, but Brea only laughed harder. She swam closer until their lips touched. He hugged her under the water and kissed back.

"Don't be sorry, Kylan." she said softly once the kiss ended. "I couldn't have asked for a better proposal from my favorite Song Teller."

Kylan's cheeks grew warm despite the chill of the water. "Ah, well... thank you, for accepting it."


End file.
